Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life — Garcia& Miralles
Ikigai: 'Reason for being. ' 'Iki' in Japanese means 'life,' and 'gai' describes value or worth. Your ikigai is your life purpose. It’s what brings you joy and inspires you to get out of bed every day.
It is such a coincidence that I was reading this book just around the time when one of my favorite YouTube channels, seek discomfort, released a video on their adventure to one of these cities where people often live to over 100 years.
According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai. Some people have found their ikigai, while others are still looking, though they carry it within them.
Our ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and finding it requires a patient search.
According to the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa – the world’s longest-living people — (100+ years) finding it is the key to a longer and more fulfilled life.
Our ikigai is different for all of us, but one thing we have in common is that we are all searching for meaning. When we spend our days feeling connected to what is meaningful to us, we live more fully; when we lose the connection, we feel despair.
Modern life especially estranges us more and more from our true nature, making it very easy for us to lead lives lacking in meaning.
The book is a reminder that life is not a problem to be solved. Just remember to have something that keeps you busy doing what you love while being surrounded by the people who love you.
The ten rules of ikigai distilled from the wisdom of the long-living residents of Ogim;
1. Stay active; don’t retire. Those who give up the things they love doing and do well lose their purpose in life. That’s why it’s so important to keep doing things of value, making progress, bringing beauty or utility to others, helping out, and shaping the world around you, even after your “official professional activity has ended.
2. Take it slow. Being in a hurry is inversely proportional to quality of life. As the old saying goes, “Walk slowly and you’ll go far.” When we leave urgency behind, life and time take on new meaning.
3. Don’t fill your stomach. Less is more when it comes to eating for long life, too. According to the 80 percent rule, in order to stay healthier longer, we should eat a little less than our hunger demands instead of stuffing ourselves.
4. Surround yourself with good friends. Friends are the best medicine, there for confiding worries over a good chat, sharing stories that brighten your day, getting advice, having fun, dreaming . . . in other words, living.
5. Get in shape for your next birthday. Water moves; it is at its best when it flows fresh and doesn’t stagnate. The body you move through life in needs a bit of daily maintenance to keep it running for a long time. Plus, exercise releases hormones that make us feel happy.
6. Smile. A cheerful attitude is not only relaxing—it also helps make friends.
It’s good to recognize the things that aren’t so great, but we should never forget what a privilege it is to be in the here and now in a world so full of possibilities.
7. Reconnect with nature. Though most people live in cities these days, human beings are made to be part of the natural world. We should return to it often to recharge our batteries.
8. Give thanks. To your ancestors, to nature, which provides you with the air you breathe and the food you eat, to your friends and family, to everything that brightens your days and makes you feel lucky to be alive. Spend a moment every day giving thanks, and you’ll watch your stockpile of happiness grow.
9. Live in the moment. Stop regretting the past and fearing the future. Today is all you have. Make the most of it. Make it worth remembering.
10. Follow your ikigai. There is a passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don’t know what your ikigai is yet, as Viktor Frankl says, your mission is to discover it.
Stay curious and never stop learning. Expose yourself to new situations often, live without fear and be kind.
An overall nice book. As always you can always get yourself a copy @e_books_kenya on Instagram or you can click the link below,
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf9Cr3HIYbr/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Thank you for passing by my blog, again! 😊
